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Monday, 1 February 2010

2010 Global Reading Challenge

The Easy ChallengeRead one novel from each of these continents in the course of 2010:AfricaAsiaAustralasiaEuropeNorth America (incl Central America)South America

From your own continent: try to find a country, state or author that is new to you.

The Medium ChallengeRead two novels from each of these continents in the course of 2010:AfricaAsiaAustralasiaEuropeNorth America (incl Central America)South America

Try to find novels from twelve different countries or states.

The Expert ChallengeRead two novels from each of these continents in the course of 2010:AfricaAsiaAustralasiaEuropeNorth America (incl Central America)South AmericaAdd two novels which are set in Antarctica.

Select novels from fourteen different countries or states.The Extremist LevelRead three novels from each of these continents in 2010:AfricaAsiaAustralasiaEuropeNorth America (incl Central America)South AmericaAdd two novels which are set in Antarctica + a ´wildcard´ novel (a novel from a place or period that is NEW to you).And if you are really an extreme reader, you will do your best to read novels from 21 different countries or states.Please use Mr Linky to sign in if you want to participate, and tell me in a comment which level you choose (you can always upgrade later).

Dorte, I have created a meme called the 2010 Global Reading Challenge which I think you should be able to "see" at Blenza (I have an account that I use for my others)- it is a "shared" meme so it should be visible to you in the drop down list. It may be as simple as changing the code - the meme number is 4284

Maxine + Bernadette: I came up with it for my own sake; I think I need this incentive to widen my horizon, and it is great that you will accompany me on my travels.

Kerrie: it doesn´t work as I do not have access to shared memes. I have sent you an invitation as a co-author of the blog so could you please try if you can add the html to the post? If not, I will upgrade my membership.

Dorte - Thanks so much for co-ordinating this! I'm going to start with the easy challenge (I know, I'm being a weakling ; )). If the year turns out to be easier than I fear it will be, I'll toughen up and go for medium or difficult. I don't see the Mr. Linky, though, on this blog. Sorry if I'm missing something.

Margot: great that it is so easy to tempt people. I think this is going to be fun!

But let´s see how good I am at co-ordinating things. I have had to ask Kerrie to help me with Mr Linky so please consider this blog "in progress". I got the idea yesterday, and I hope everything will work properly before New Year :D

Mack: that is great (also my plan right now, but I may switch to expert level). I plan to make a post every month where you can link to your reviews (but of course you can review as many books as you like every month).

Craig: fine. And I have not thought about my Australasian novels yet, but I promise to read at least one Kiwi crime so I may contact you if it proves difficult to get it.

Vanda: you can always ´upgrade your membership´ if you realize you have read them all six long before the challenge expires. And here any kind of membership, silver, gold or platinum, is absolutely free of charge ;)

Vanda: you can always ´upgrade your membership´ if you realize you have read them all six long before the challenge expires. And here any kind of membership, silver, gold or platinum, is absolutely free of charge ;)

I'm in - going for easy level, but may upgrade!I've promised myself not to overtax myself with challenges this year - lol!!!http://lyndasbookblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/2010-global-reading-challenge.html

This challenge is too good to pass up! When I taught World History I was always trying to get my students to read something other than books by dead white males. Now, as a teacher librarian I look forward to "pushing" books I see reviewed in this challenge! Thanks for giving me the opportunity

With regard to your question, my own main criterion is that the author should live in, or have grown up in the continent. I think that will force us to read more new authors than if we accept British or American writers who write books that take place abroad.

Of course the best books are ones where both the author and the action are from the continent, but it is not a strict rule. The main idea is to read some new authors and get new experiences.

I'm going for the medium challenge - enough challenge but not too much of a "eat your vegetables, they're good for you" level of commitment. I expect Latin America to be my biggest difficulty, though I could catch up on Leighton Gage.

I've never participated in a reading challenge so this should be fun! I've even decided to reach for the stars and go for the expert challenge level. Oh, and since I"m new to all this I signed up under my name Laura Duncan instead of my google identity.

I'm dipping my toe in too. This is going to be a real stretch for me but that is why it's a challenge, right? I'm starting off at the easy level and see where I go from there. Thanks for coming up with the idea for the challenge and for your work in hosting it.

I've just posted about this challenge on another site I visit, Chicklit Forums on their New Year's Readolutions thread. Said over there that I had too much going on to participate myself, but now feel drawn in. How hard can it be too do the easy level, as the American and European novels will take care of themselves, and like you, Dorte, I always like the idea of pushing outside my usual sphere and read books from other places. Yeah, and I'll upgrade too, if this turns out to be too easy.

It seems I misunderstood the Mister Linky URL request. I put the URL for our books, but it seems I should have linked to a URL where I post my comments. If indeed I have erred please take out the www.detectivekubu.com link. I can't work out how to do it. Thanks Stan

So in my excitement to sign up for this challenge, I failed miserably, and accidentally posted to the Antarctica post. So yeah... there's no review there. Oops.

I did end up succeeding eventually, and I think I'm going to go for Expert, solely because I'm already planning to read a book set in Antarctica (so you will get a post from me there are some point). This sounds really interesting, and I'm very much looking forward to it.

So in my excitement to sign up for this challenge, I failed miserably, and accidentally posted to the Antarctica post. So yeah... there's no review there. Oops.

I did end up succeeding eventually, and I think I'm going to go for Expert, solely because I'm already planning to read a book set in Antarctica (so you will get a post from me there are some point). This sounds really interesting, and I'm very much looking forward to it.

What a great idea? I read too much of the same Anglo-Saxon origin work. The trick will be to finding great books from new places (which I know are out there). I'll be interested to hear which books others are reading and which ones they recommend.

I've read 9 of my 14 different countries/regions required for the Expert Challenge, but finally got around to posting a link to my first review of any of them(Bernhard Schlink's SELF'S MURDER - reviewed for the EuroCrime website).

Hello,I am so glad I found this challenge, what a great idea! Are you then looking for people to post links to reviews of the books they have chosen? I am going to be brave and jump right in to the expert level.

I always have a summer reading project. Even though I started out with the Basic Level, I'm upping that to the expert level. This is a great way to read some new authors ( as well as books I've had on my to-read list)

Paz: I think some challenge hosts allow participants to review books and send them per email, but I really think the simplest idea is for you to start a blog, as Seana says. And if you don´t enjoy it, you can always scrap it when you have finished the challenge.

I just learned about this challenge, and I think it's a fantastic idea. I have a question before I commit, though. The rules specify reading NOVELS from each continent. What about other types of books, such as memoir and drama? For instance, I'm currently reading the memoir Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight, which is about the author's childhood in Central Africa. Does that count as an African book? If I read an Athol Fugard play, would that count for Africa? Or do they have to be novels?

Jamie: I´d certainly count memoir and drama. Using the word ´novel´ was just because I thought a short story was too short. I have not decided on any official length either, but at work (I am a teacher) we count something as ´a work´ when it is more than 50 pages. So in that way it is also possible to count a collection of stories which take place in e.g. Africa.

Forgive me if this has been covered already:do you count the author's nationality or the setting of the book as the Country? I've just started a crime novel by a Singaporean set in Bali......just curious :) (I do realise that there are very few native Antarctic authors LOL)

Fiona, Dorte gave this answer earlier:With regard to your question, my own main criterion is that the author should live in, or have grown up in the continent. I think that will force us to read more new authors than if we accept British or American writers who write books that take place abroad.

Of course the best books are ones where both the author and the action are from the continent, but it is not a strict rule. The main idea is to read some new authors and get new experiences.

I just wanted to say that I think this is a great idea / challenge.I don't know if anyone has come across Global Novel, which is also really exciting. Here's a link if anyone's interested: www.globalnovel.com